Full-fashioned girdle and method of making same



July 1Q, 1962 N. H. GOODMAN 3,043,123

FULL-FASHIONED GIRDLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 8, 1958 FIG. I. FIG. 2.

. INVENTOR. AfilP/WAA A. soap/144M Znfi A T TORNEYS United States Patent 3,043,123 FULL-FASHIONED GIRDLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Norman H. Goodman, New York, N.Y., assignor to Triumph Hosiery Mills, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 759,669 Claims. (Cl. 66-176) This invention relates generally to torso-girding garments, including panty or panty girdle type garments, and embraces a novel method of manufacturing the same and a blank for use therein.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a garment of the type described which possesses an extremely high degree of resistance to stretch and a tendency of the fabric to return to its original unstretched condi tion with a force depending upon the denier of the yarns employed, the number of yarns employed and the torque imparted thereto as well as the tightness of stitch formation to provide a compressive stretch in its circumferential direction by reason of the novel method of manufacture and blank therefor disclosed herein.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a novel torso-girding garment, method of manufacturing the same, and blank therefor, wherein the wales of knitted fabric extend in the proper direction for affording maximum resistance to stretch circumferentially of the garment.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a torso-girding garment which is simpler and more economical than heretofore proposed methods.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a blank for use in manufacturing a torsogirding garment having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, which blank is adapted to be fabricated quickly and economically in mass production by existing machines.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic plan view showing a garment blank of the present invention and illustrating the yarn carriers of a full-fashioned knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the garment blank in an early stage of manufacture of the blank being folded preparatory to securement thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view showing a completed garment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Before discussing the drawings in detail, it may be briefly stated that a panty or panty girdle of the present invention is formed from a blank knit on a full-fashioned hosiery machine or similar type of flat-bed knitting machine. However, in contrast to the conventional knitting of full-fashioned garments, wherein the blank is knit vertically, from top to bottom of the garment or vice versa, in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the blank is knit from side to side with respect to the garment. That is, the blank is knit with its vertical dimension extending parallel to the needle bars of the knitting machine, whereby the resultant blank is adapted to have its end portions secured together to define a tubular torso- 3,043,123 Patented July 10, 1962 ice receiving construction with the knitted wales running circumferentially thereof for a high degree of circumferential compressive action.

While the particular yarn employed in knitting a blank of the present invention is not critical, it is preferred to use nonrubber yarns of a thermoplastic nature. By way of example, left and right nylon torque twist yarns knit with the conventional two-carrier method of knitting employed for knitting torque yarns having S-twist and Z-twist as is well known in the art and disclosed in US. Patent Nos. 2,714,757 and 2,771,759 wherein at least one S-twist yarn is fed through one carrier and at least one Z-t-wist yarn is fed through the other carrier with alternation of the carriers throughout the knitting to produce a fabric having some courses inclined to the left and other courses inclined to the right depending upon the twist of the torque yarns employed in the courses.

Such torque yarns as mentioned above are light in weight, permitting a very fine gauge knit, which promotes fast drying and comfort in hot weather. Such thermoplastic yarns also enable a garment of the present invention to be molded to precise shape in an autoclave, which reduces shrinkage and permits machine washing of the finished gar-ment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, a plurality of carrier rods 10 are shown mounting yarn carriers .11, which is conventional in a full-fashioned knitting machine.

Extending longitudinally from the yarn carriers 11 is an elongate, knit blank, generally designated 12. The blank is preferably knit in a chain sequence for the wellknown advantages of such knitting. While a single blank 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it is appreciated that a plurality of such blanks may be continuously knitted in desired quantities. As will be appreciated, the elongate blank 112 has its courses extending transversely of the blank, as indicated at 13.

The blank may be considered as including a generally rectangular, longitudinally extending major part 14 having a straight, longitudinal, selvage edge 15, and straight end or side edges 16 at opposite ends of and extending normal to the longitudinal edge 15. Projecting laterally from the generally rectangular major part 14, oppositely away from the longitudinal edge 15, are a plurality of crotch-forming extensions 17 and 18. The extensions 17 and 18 are advantageously knit integrally with the major part 14 by well-known operations of full-fashioned hosiery knitting machines and may also have selvage edges. It may be observed in FIG. 1 that the extension 17 is located medially of the blank ends v16, and that the extensions .18, two in number, are located distally, being spaced on opposite sides of the rear crotch panel extension 17 each adjacent to and spaced longitudinally inward from the adjacent blank end 16. Further, the extensions 17 and 18 are defined by a pair of laterally inwardly extending indentations 19 each located between the medial extension 17 and a respective distal extension 18, and a pair of distal or outer indentations 20 on the outer sides of the respective distal extensions 18. The extensions and indentations may, of course, be knit in the blank by the knitting operation and have selvage edges, if desired.

The blank may also be formed with reinforced portions or areas on the edges of extensions 18 and 17, as at 22. The reinforcements 22 may be knitted or spliced in the blank, or otherwise secured thereto.

The blank 12 is initially folded about its laterally extending medial portion to bring its end portions together. This condition is illustrated in FIG. 2., wherein the blank is generally designated 120. It may be there observed that the blank end portions, each of which is adjacent to a respective blank end 16, are disposed in overlapping relation with respect to each other, as are the distal extensions 18.

In this folded condition of FIG. 2, the blank end portions 16a are secured together, as shown by FIG. 3, as by a pair of securement lines or stitches 25 each extending closely along a respective edge 16 and terminating at opposite upper and lower ends thereof. The main blank part 14, with its end portions secured together, defines a tubular construction, as seen in section in FIG. 4, which is adapted to receive and encircle the torso of a wearer, with the overlying blank end portions defining a reinforced panel of double thickness.

The overlying extensions 13 depend from the front region of the tubular construction 14a to define a front crotch part, while the extension 17 depends from the rear region of the tubular construction to define a rear crotch part. The overlapping complementary front and rear crotch parts 18 and 17 are connected together at their lower ends, as by a securement line of stitching 26 to define a crotch.

Extending along the upper selvage edge, circumferentially about the tubular construction of the main part 14, and secured thereto by stitching or otherwise, is an elastic Waistband 27. Similarly, elastic legbands 28 extend along the bounding selvage edges of the crotch-part extensions 17 and 18 about the leg openings defined by the indentations 19 and 20. The reinforcements 22 lie adjacent to the leg openings defined by the indentations 19 and 20, and garter tabs 29 may be secured to the reinforcements, if desired.

While the illustrated embodiment discloses the overlapping panel portions 16a, which afford increased resistance to stretching in the abdominal region, such overlapping is not essential, as the blank 12 may be of less length and have its end edges secured directly together, if desired. Also, the blank may be configurated to locate the secured end edges, or a double-thickness panel, in any desired location circumferentially of the finished garment.

If desired, by reason of the full-fashioned blank construction, certain areas may be integrally knit of nonelastic or special-characteristic yarn, different from that of the remainder of the blank. For example, it may be desirable to knit a heavier-weight crotch area, and heavierweight areas of fabric at the points where hosiery supporters are sewn, which may be done by splicing with yarn similar to or different from that of the remaining portion of the garment. Also, a separate crotch panel may be inserted and sewn into the garment, or designed to be removable, if desired.

After sewing, the garment may be molded to the desired shape and size in an'autoclave.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a garment construction, method of manufacturing the same, and blank therefor, which fully accomplish their intended objects, and are well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made Within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An integrally knit full-fashioned girdle blank comprising a straight longitudinal edge along one side of the blank having a selvage and the opposite edge being provided with a plurality of integrally knit depending extensions forming a crotch and leg openings, the courses of sa'id'blank reaching between the waist edge to said extensions and the wales extending parallel to the waist edge, the courses of said blank being knit with thermoplastic torque yarns with at least a left torque yarn being knit in some courses and at least a right torque yarn being knit in other courses.

2. An integrally knit generally rectangular girdle blank having a medial portion-and a straightselvage along one side of said blank, a medial rear crotch panel extension and a pair of distal complementary overlapping front crotch panel extensions extending laterally from said medial panel for overlapping each other, the wales of said blank extending parallel to said rectilinear selvage and the courses being normal thereto with some courses haying nylon torque yarns of left twist and other courses having nylon torque yarns of right twist whereby the resistance to stretch walewise is less than the resistance to stretch coursewise.

3. A girdle full-fashioned knit generally rectangular blank, said blank comprising a medial panel and straight selvage along one side of the medial rear crotch panel extension and a pair of distal complementary front crotch forming extensions extending laterally from said medial panel extension, said front crotch forming extensions be ing secured in overlapping relation and the front crotchforming extensions being secured to the medial rear crotch panel extension to form a crotch portion of the girdle with leg openings.

4. A fashioned integrally knit girdle having a nonravel straight selvage and a panty portion having selvage leg openings, the wales in the girdle extending parallel to said straight selvage and with some courses having thermoplastic torque yarn of left twist and other courses having thermoplastic torque yarn of right twist whereby the resistance to stretch walewise is controlled by the number of courses per inch, the extent of the torque in the yarns and the denier of the yarns employed.

5. A fashioned integrally knit girdle having a nonravel straight selvage and a panty portion having selvage leg openings, the wales in the girdle extending parallel to said straight selvage and with the courses extending normal thereto and having thermoplastic torque yarn of left twist in some courses and other courses having thermoplastic torque yarn of right twist, said panty portion having a front section with a double-ply of fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gift May 6, 1958 

